‘A great journey, shared future’: When a piece of China arrived at ULAB
A joint cultural programme by ULAB and the Chinese Embassy brought China’s history, traditions and development story to life through exhibitions, performances and discussion
If you had walked through the Red Building of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) on 1 July 2026, you would have stumbled upon a picturesque exhibition — one that opened windows onto China's infrastructure and trade ambitions.
The displays featured the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port under the Belt and Road Initiative, China's poverty alleviation policies tracing back to Xi Jinping's 2013 visit to Hunan, and their effects on remote ethnic minority communities. Among them were the Dulong people of Yunnan, who have moved from isolation towards improved access and connectivity.
Bangladesh and China are very different countries, with different geographies, political cultures, and social realities. We must always remember that no country can simply copy another's path. Yet we can learn from the seriousness with which China has pursued development.
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You might wonder why a slice of China had suddenly landed at ULAB. The answer was "A Great Journey, Shared Future", a cultural event jointly hosted by ULAB and the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh. It marked the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.
By 2:30pm, an extensive book exhibition had unfolded, featuring more than 200 titles chronicling the history of the CPC and China's cultural traditions. Alongside it, a Chinese calligraphy session drew participants.
I also tried my hand at calligraphy, writing the character meaning "harmony". As a delightful surprise, participants who joined the session walked away with small gifts.
In his speech, ULAB Vice Chancellor Professor Shamsad Mortuza reflected on the value of cross-cultural learning.
"Bangladesh and China are very different countries, with different geographies, political cultures, and social realities. We must always remember that no country can simply copy another's path. Yet we can learn from the seriousness with which China has pursued development," he said.
"As a liberal arts university, ULAB has a special responsibility to expose our students to different histories, different civilisations, and different systems of power," Mortuza added.
At 3pm, students from the Confucius Institute at Dhaka University performed a rendition of a song by renowned Chinese singer Gong Yue at the D Building courtyard.
One performer seemed completely lost in the rhythm of the melody, while another played the guzheng, a traditional Chinese string instrument. For a fleeting moment, it truly felt as though we had been transported to China.
The cultural segment was followed by a lecture titled "The Story of the Communist Party of China", delivered by Culture Counsellor Li Shaopeng of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Bangladesh.
"I want to show you a different side of China. Most of you may know something about Chinese culture, history, and language, but perhaps not much about our Party, the Communist Party of China," he said.
He then posed a provocative question, "Why has China been so successful? I have already told you about the CPC. So people should ask: why has the Communist Party of China been able to lead China to success?"
Using a detailed PowerPoint presentation, Li walked the audience through the Party's history, bringing the day's programme to a close.
Mortuza's words perhaps best captured the spirit of the entire event.
"A liberal arts education is not about accepting one idea uncritically, nor is it about rejecting ideas before we understand them. It is about cultivating the capacity to listen, compare, question, interpret, and then decide what may be meaningful for our own context," he said.
"That is why today's programme happened. The photo exhibition, book exhibition, lecture, calligraphy experience, and cultural performances are all part of that learning."
